ÖKOBIER

AKA:
Biobier

Pronunciation guide for English-speakers:
"œu-co-beer" (pronounce "œu" as in bœuf bourguignon)

Definition:
One of two terms for a certified organic beer. The other term is Biobier. Organic beers must be brewed entirely from organically grown and processed raw materials. Only grain and hops from organic farmers and processed by certified organic companies may be used in Biobeer. Likewise, yeast breeding for Biobeers requires the use only of organic propagation substrata. In addition, the entire beer-making chain, from the farm to the bottle or keg, is subject to government inspection and certification. Certification is handled either by government institutions or by specially licensed audit firms. In Germany, such firms are called Ökokontrollstellen (ecological audit stations). They are empowered to certify a product as "generated from ecological plantings."

The Neumarkter Lammsbräu brewery (above) of Neumarkt in Bavaria is Germany's largest Öko-brewery, while the Pinkus Müller brewery (right) of Münster in Westphalia claims to be "the oldest bio-brewery in the world." While Lammsbräu is currently not imported into the United States, three of Pinkus Müller's brews are: right from top, Altbier, Hefeweizen, and Ur-Pils. These are distributed by Merchant du Vin.

Products that comply with all organic certification requirements may carry the European BIO-Mark (top left), which is the equivalent of the United States Department of Agriculture Organic Mark (top right). Compliance with European Bio regulations also implies compliance with National Organic Program (NOP) regulations. NOP is a program adopted by many countries, including the United States and Germany, whose guidelines set a rigid standard defining which products may be termed "organic." It also provides the certification rules and regulations for organic-compliant food producers. Importantly, NOP guidelines define which pesticides and fertilizers may be used by farmers of organic products. They prohibit the use of any chemically manufactured or modified substance in or near an organic field.

To prevent inadvertent contamination from pesticides and fertilizers in the vicinity, adjacent fields, too, must meet organic requirements, and the farmer must maintain a minimum distances between organic and conventional fields. The farmer must also document in writing the crops previously planted on the soils used for certified-organic products. Every batch of raw materials received at an organic brewery's loading dock must be accompanied by its NOP certification from the farmer.

To obtain an organic certification, a food processing company must (excerpted from the official text) ... "establish, implement, and update annually an organic production or handling system plan that is submitted to an accredited certifying agent; ... permit on-site inspections with complete access to the production or handling operation, including non-certified production and handling areas, structures, and offices by the certifying agent; and ... maintain all records applicable to the organic operation for not less than five years beyond their creation and allow ... the certifying agent access to such records during normal business hours for review and copying to determine compliance."